Things We Lost
by Purin-chan
Summary: Xelloss, carrying out a final favor for Zelgadiss, seeks out Lina, who disappeared years before. He soon finds out that she's lost her magic and has been living normally for years in the outer continent. For those of you who enjoyed Love Scene. Mature.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note**: So creative inspiration has finally hit me, and I'm ready to write another multi-chaptered fic of Xellina goodness :D. Thanks to all of you who've read my stuff in the meantime. Hopefully this was worth the wait. It's rated M for later chapters *wink wink*. This is for all of you who enjoyed reading Love Scene, and are still lingering in the fandom :). Enjoy!

* * *

Things We Lost – Chapter One

Three weeks before…

The fight had lasted longer than anyone would have anticipated.

Just east of the borders of the white magic capital, a shift in the land had created a rift through which an intense magical energy poured. Though the rift had been successfully sealed at the sacrifice of Princess Amelia's life, the aftereffects of the catastrophe were still overwhelming. Monsters and lesser demons alike multiplied and gained strength from the magical source, and from each other. It worked like a virus, implanting itself within a host to proliferate and spread to another, and before long the matter had already gotten out of hand. But Zelgadiss Greywords, friend of the late princess, had been there to turn the tide and shift it in favor of the people.

But it seemed, before the end of the battle, another sacrifice would have to be made.

He fell to one knee and dropped his sword into the ground. Blood spattered up through his mouth as he coughed and clutched at the vital wound to his lower abdomen. He didn't have to see it to know that all the healers of Saillune could not save him. His body no longer felt right—there was probably something important missing down there. Unless the healers had learned to replace body parts, this would be where he would make his final stand.

As he willed himself to rise, an unprecedented visitor appeared before him with a familiar voice. "Oh my, you certainly don't look well, Zelgadiss-san."

Zelgadiss raised his head. Though he couldn't clearly see who had appeared before him (his vision had gotten so fuzzy with all the loss of blood), that voice was unmistakeable. In a hoarse voice, he uttered the priest's name, "Xelloss. What are you doing here?"

The mazoku raised his hand. "I assure you, I am not here to oppose you. In fact, you could say I'm here to help."

Another cough escaped Zelgadiss's blood-ridden lungs. "Help?" That was unlikely. "I don't have time to play games with you. Explain yourself."

"No, you certainly don't," Xelloss commented. He lowered his hand, seeing the aggression fade from Zelgadiss's eyes. "But I am here on business, and the details include information I am afraid I cannot share with you, Zelgadiss-san."

Zelgadiss sighed, and it was a long, drawn-out sigh. Xelloss wondered briefly if that had been his last breath, but then the chimera pulled himself off the ground and coughed again. "I guess you will do," he muttered, then fished down the neckline of his cloak. He then pulled out a letter, and held it out to Xelloss. "I have a favor to ask. Can you deliver this?"

Xelloss raised an eyebrow. "Why do you think would I feel compelled to perform an act of generosity?"

"Well, we travelled together once, so maybe your sense of comraderie," Zelgadiss joked, observing how Xelloss responded with the customary grin. "That, and this gives you an excuse to see_ her_ again." He witnessed the grin slowly fade, and then Xelloss quickly turned his head, feigning ignorance. "Admit it," Zelgadiss said, "we all find things more interesting with Lina around."

Xelloss hesitated for a moment longer before a tiny smile appeared on his lips. Then he reached forward and took the flimsy note from Zelgadiss's beaten hand. "That is probably true," he agreed, and tucked the slip of paper away in his bag. "But Zelgadiss-san, how do you think she will respond to the news of the death of her companions?"

A smirk appeared on the man's face. "That's something for you, the news-bearer, to deal with." He shifted and groaned, feeling the numbness beginning to take over. "Xelloss," he began. "Can you tell her this, too?"

"That is?"

Zelgadiss wiped the blood from his mouth, and Xelloss saw that a small and gentle smile had appeared there. He regarded the chimera with a solemn expression on his face, for this was the moment he had seen in few humans before, and a moment he would never experience as an undying mazoku. This was the little bit of respect he had for their race—for those who fought to keep on living. In their final moments, they grew to their fullest just before their light was put to an eternal rest.

"Tell her I'm sorry."

* * *

"How are you doing today, Lina?"

She raised her head and tipped her hat up as she paused in the road. The length of her skirt swept around her ankles, fluttering as a light spring breeze blew on by, and she wondered briefly if it was the sign of an oncoming storm. She ran a hand through her long red hair, then patted down her dress as she greeted the man with a warm smile. "Great!" she answered. "How are you doing, old man?"

He laughed at her. "I can't be doing anything but good after that lively response of yours." The man stood up and straightened his back. As he sighed and stretched out his arms, he continued, "How have you been holding up? A town this quiet must be an absolute bore for you."

She waved a hand carelessly at him. "No, that's not true. I quite like it here."

His smile shifted. "That's a shame. Someone as young as you should be exploring the world, not settling down." He paused to rub his nose. "At least experience what it's like to fall in love."

Lina strained a smile at him. Time and experience had taught her how to best manipulate the muscles in her face to make others believe her pretenses. "I already have," she responded. _I already have, but that was quite a while ago, now._

"Aw shucks," the man said playfully. "And here I thought I had a chance with a sweetheart like you."

She laughed at him. "Thank you, Mr. Carson. Have a nice day."

"You too. Take care."

She bowed her head to him, then walked off down the road with her hand on her head to keep her hat from flying away. After ten minutes down the dirt path, she climbed a small hill and entered the front door to her house, sealing the door behind her. She paused behind it to catch her breath as it came in ragged, painful gasps.

"Lina-san?"

She froze. Had someone broken through her ward? She realized she hadn't paid attention upon entering the house. But when his figure appeared around the corner, however, she realized that it was not her wards that had been broken. Her wards simply had no effect on him. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, then opened them. "How did you find me, Xelloss?"

"Ah, that." He took a step towards her. "That was a task indeed. You never fail to impress me, Lina-san. How did you ever manage to conceal your presence so well? …Lina-san?"

_Not now_. _Please, gods, not now!_

She stumbled, and Xelloss teleported to her side to catch her. "Lina-san?" he repeated. There was worry in his voice, and she found that it annoyed her. But that wasn't the biggest of her problems for the moment.

She swallowed. "Help me to the other room," she said, words strained, and pointed wearily at the door across the room. Xelloss nodded as he hooked an arm around her and lifted her off the ground, carrying her over to the next room. There was a large bed. Taking light of the situation, he walked over and set her down on top of it.

As he pulled away from her, he saw that she had gone ghastly pale. He was about to speak, but then she closed her eyes and raised her hands before her, palms down. He backed away just as the spell swelled, runes glowing brightly on the engraved wooden boards below his feet, magic swirling around her before it finally settled. She sighed quietly, and Xelloss noted that the color had effectively returned to her face, though she still looked sufficiently exhausted.

Her eyes fell on him then, and he realized that the redness had dimmed slightly over the years. It had been twelve years since he had last seen her. She had disappeared about four years ago, location lost to him and all of her friends. Apparently she had wandered into the outer continent, which explained why she had escaped his vision. The higher ranked mazoku knew of every single being within the inner world. What he could not understand, though, was how she managed to evade his tracking abilities via the astral plane. That would take an enormous amount of magical capacity and endurance, or…

Lina slipped her legs off the side of the bed and paused. Then she eased off the side of her bed and stood up slowly. As she began to teeter, Xelloss reached out and grabbed her arm. "Are you sure you should be standing, Lina-san?" he asked.

She brushed his hand off. "I'm fine, Xelloss." He noted the strain in her eyes silently. "So, tell me. What do you want with me now?" She paused, then turned to him slowly. Her eyes regarded him with melancholy. "I'm sure you've noticed it."

His expression was somber, though his eyes were still hidden. "Yes," he responded. "You've lost your capacity for magic." When she nodded slowly, he continued, "So that explains why I couldn't track you, and why you've been out here in the outer continent, where no one knows spells beyond the simplest ones, for so long without being discovered."

She smiled weakly at him. "If you know that, then you don't need me anymore for whatever it is you have planned." She walked around him and out the door to her room with him following behind. Then she pulled a cup out of her kitchen cabinet, poured some tea from her thermos, and offered it to Xelloss. He took it from her and looked down at it as she poured one for herself. "Sorry to disappoint you," she said finally, then took a sip from her cup of steaming tea.

He drank from his own cup. The aroma was pleasing, and the taste was just as good. _Lina-san certainly knows how to choose her tea_, he thought. He cast her a long look, and she blinked at him. "It's a local tea," she explained. "They grow the leaves on the farms here."

He grinned at her. "Is that so?" She nodded. "I'll have to purchase some before I leave," he commented.

Lina walked over to the small round table she had in her dining room and sat down, gesturing to the chair across from her as she looked to Xelloss. He took her invitation and sat down in that chair, setting down the cup on top of the table with a small clang. Then he lifted it back to his lips and took another drink, thinking again how nicely it tasted.

She saw the expression on his face and said, "Actually, you can just have the rest of my tea leaves. I can always get more." Her fingers fiddled with the cup on the table before her, and she smiled. "Think of it as a thank you gift, for coming to see me."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Why the sudden change of heart?"

"Because you haven't left yet." She raised her eyes to meet him. They regarded him with curiosity. "And I am absolutely no use to you, now."

He put the cup down on the table and leaned back in his chair as he folded his hands in his lap. He watched her as she watched him, waiting for him to speak. Time hadn't done a lot to her. She was still youthful, vigorous, and pretty much the same Lina he had known from before. There was a subtle maturity about her now, though. It showed in her mannerisms, and in how calm she had been. As for physical appearances, her height had stayed the same, though her adolescent and sometimes awkward body had finally settled on a more womanly shape. Though she was still petite, her figure was more adult-like, and she was no longer scrawny in odd areas. Her face had also matured, and her hair was a bit tamer, though it was still the same length he had remembered it. Apparently, she still loved it too much to let it go.

Lina shifted uncomfortably and looked down at the tea cup in her hands. Then Xelloss leaned forward and asked, "What happened, Lina-san?"

"What do you mean, Xelloss?" she replied, pretending to be innocent.

"I mean," he began, and lowered his face so he could look into her obscured eyes. "What happened to your magic? And what was that earlier?"

He sounded concerned again, and Lina felt a little annoyed, and a little touched at the same time. Her fingers wrapped tightly around her cup, then loosened, then tightened again. She bit her lip. "I-I don't know. Well I do know, but I don't _really_ know." She glanced up at his eyes and saw that he was regarding her openly with a compelling sincerity. She breathed slowly and continued. "I felt it fading—my magic, I mean. And then one day it was gone."

"Gone?" he repeated.

"Gone. I can't even cast a lighting spell."

He 'hmmed' softly. Then she went on, "I think…I think my body has been changing. When it was fading, I felt my body reject the flow of magic with every spell I tried to cast. And then I began to have these…attacks."

"Like what happened earlier?"

She nodded. "They don't happen too often—maybe once every three weeks or so. They've been escalating recently, though."

He put his elbows on the table and laced his fingers in front of his lips as he leaned in. "How often is it now?"

She hesitated. Then she said, "This is the second time this week."

"And your only cure is that spell you cast earlier?"

She shook her head. "It's not really a cure. Those runes are made to bind whatever magical flow is left inside of me."

His eyes narrowed at her. "Bind? Who made those runes, Lina-san?"

"I did."

He put his hands down on the table. "You did?"

"Yeah," she answered. "I began to study them, as my magic was beginning to fade. It's provided a temporary solution, but I'm afraid-"

Her voice choked up then, and Xelloss tasted a stray wave of fear as it seized her. "I'm afraid I may be running out of options," she concluded, then turned her face away. She fidgeted for a moment, then stood up and walked back over to the kitchen. "Do you want something to eat?" she asked.

His eyes returned to normal. "Do you have enough food to spare?" he inquired.

She stuck a tongue out at him, catching the hint. "I don't eat as much as I used to, since I was doing it mainly to restock the energy I used from all the magic. I have plenty here for you and me." And, part of her wanted him to stay for dinner so that she'd have some familiar company for a few more hours. But she wouldn't admit that to herself.

Xelloss chuckled at her. "Then, I accept your invitation, Lina-san."

She grinned at him. "I was hoping you'd say that."

o o o o o

They chatted happily over dinner, sharing random stories from the decade that had passed between them. While Xelloss relayed stories of performing tedious and sometimes ridiculous tasks for his superiors (one of which included hunting down ten very rare species of rabbits for Beastmaster's collection), Lina exchanged with him stories of her life with Gourry, which ended when he became ill with disease and passed away.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Xelloss commented.

Lina laughed lightly at him, knowing full well that it was impossible he felt sorry at all. "Thanks," she replied.

Then she told him of the years she had spent with Zelgadiss, and how he had convinced her into working with him for Amelia. But she had come to rely on him for too much of an emotional support, especially after losing Gourry, and she had begun to fall into a vulnerable pattern with him. To say the least, it hadn't been good for her relationship with Amelia.

"So that's when you disappeared?" Xelloss asked. He watched as she poured a glass of wine for each of them, and took the one nearest to him.

She shrugged. "There was an opportunity, so I took it." She put the bottle down and took her own glass of wine, swirling and smelling it briefly before taking a good sip. "I needed to get away, before all my friendships broke," she explained. "Granted, I'm not sure if they even know I'm alive. I disappeared on a mission, so they may think I'm dead." She leaned back and sighed. "But I'd rather that than be hated."

Xelloss drank some of the wine before placing the glass down. Alcohol didn't really do anything for him as it did for the humans, but he did quite enjoy her exquisite choice in drink. Then, carefully, he said, "Lina-san, they know you're alive."

"They do?" she answered, surprised. "But, how do you—oh, damn. So _that's_ why you're here, isn't it?"

He raised a hand to quell her rising anger. "Hear me out, Lina-san." His hand went below the table and into the bag at his side, and he fingered the slip of paper knowingly as it sat concealed in his bag. Then he brought it to the surface of the table, slowly and deliberately, and saw her face go pale. He looked down at it and saw that a small blood stain was smeared along the corner, undoubtedly from Zelgadiss. With a small sigh, he placed the letter down on the table and slid it over to her with his fingers. "It's for you," he said, as though she couldn't already tell. And maybe she couldn't, since her mind only seemed to register it as he said so, and she reached forward unwillingly, fingers colliding with Xelloss's as she took it from him. Her eyes continued to seem unfocused, even as she unfolded the letter and read its contents. And then they glossed over as she read farther into the letter, and finally, her eyes fell as the words came to an end.

A long silence passed between them, filled only by the occasional soft sniffling sound from Lina. As the clock on the wall ticked away, Lina finally rose from her chair. "I-I need some time. Don't mind the dishes, I'll get them later," she said as she skirted the table, and hurried for the door.

"Zelgadiss-san had something else for you," Xelloss said suddenly, catching her as her hand fell on the doorknob. She paused there, but never turned around. Then Xelloss continued, "He wanted to tell you, 'I'm sorry.'"

He watched quietly as she swallowed the words, then turned the doorknob and left.

o o o o o

It was raining lightly outside, and the only things that accompanied her as she walked were the sounds of her feet on the wet grass and the sound of rain gently falling against the ground. Thunder rumbled softly in the distance, and she picked up the pace, walking quickly along the invisible path before her.

She stopped at the foot of a large tree, placed her hand against its woody trunk, and sank against it. It was nearly as big as a Flagoon, with roots extending in many directions across the surface of the ground. She eased into a little cove formed by the roots, nestling herself in the curve of its arms as she listened to the sound of the rain. Some droplets fell from the leaves far above her, splashing against her forehead or into her hair. But then she lowered her face into her arms, and she no longer felt the impact of the rain at all.

What was the last thing she had said to Zelgadiss? The thought of it made her sick to her stomach, and she wished that it wasn't true. But deep down, despite how she attempted to forge her memory of it, she knew the words she had said to him that day, and she regretted it now with every fiber of her being.

He had done nothing for her except support her in her time of need, and in exchange, she had left him hurtful words.

She laughed bitterly, and wept into her raised knees. How she wished now that she could take back those words, go back to that life, and stay by his side. She would be smarter about it—she'd keep her feelings in check, and her friendship with Amelia would improve for it. They could all be together, all together, and alive.

There was a small shuffling noise, and at first she didn't move. But then she raised her head slowly, and looked up to see Xelloss standing over her, cape held out to keep the rain from falling on her head. If she had been in better spirits, she would have blushed in response to his kind gesture. As it was, she simply lowered her head back into her knees and cried.

He remained standing, offering her neither comfort nor condolences, but only his cloak to ward off the weather. He drank in her sorrow, feeding on it as his first real meal that entire evening. It tasted bitter and sweet—and of Lina, a flavor he hadn't experienced in a long, long time.

"How did he die?" Lina asked, voice quivering.

"He was wounded. I'm not sure if you were aware, but Saillune was met with a crisis recently. He fought and died for it."

He heard an audible swallow, and then Lina shifted. She was afraid to ask, but had to know. "And what about Amelia?"

"Dead. She died to complete the seal necessary to save her people."

"Gods," Lina cursed, and grabbed a fistful of her hair, clenching it angrily. As she hiccuped, she continued, "And why were you there?"

"That is a secret," Xelloss replied, though it was sincere. "But I was not there against any of your friends."

"You just weren't there to help them, either."

"Of course not."

"Figures," she muttered, and released her hair. She raised her head just enough to peer out at what was at her feet. A small patch of flowers grew there, in a small patch of dirt. But they were crushed now, most likely from her mindless steps. She wondered briefly if she should feel bad about killing them—those little fragments of beauty that struggled to grow here in this particular patch of mud.

She sighed and apologized. "Sorry," she said, "I'm just taking out my frustration on you."

"No need," Xelloss replied. "It's natural for you to be angry with me."

She shook her head. "No, it's your nature. I'm angry with myself for not even _being_ there. For being helpless and stupid. I should never have left." He answered her with silence, to which she said, "Hey, Xelloss?"

"Yes?"

"Sit next to me?"

He was a little surprised by her request, but obeyed it since it wasn't much of a deal. With his arm still raised to hold the cloak over her head, he sat down next to her, effectively forming a small cave around her.

And then she surprised him more by leaning forward and cuddling into his chest.

He glanced down as she sank into him and cautiously wrapped her arms around his body. "Lina-san?"

"This doesn't bother you, does it?"

He blinked. "On the contrary," he said, "this makes it easier for me to feed on your sorrow."

She laughed at that, and for a moment he winced. But then she quickly dropped back into her sad daze, and rested her head against him, giving herself entirely to the embrace. He wrapped his cloak around her and leaned against the root of the tree. No words passed between them for a long period of time, after which Lina finally spoke up.

"Well, now I have something to look forward to in the case my attacks finally win over me."

Though she didn't see it, a small, dissatisfied frown appeared on Xelloss's face as he thought about her statement. And if he had known it was there, perhaps he would have given the peculiar feeling more thought. But as it was, they both remained unaware of that tiny gesture as they held one another, listening to the sound of the rain as it fell lightly around them, until eventually the sound was no more.


	2. Chapter 2

Things We Lost – Chapter Two

_Zel…_

_ Zelgadiss?_

_ Yes, Lina?_

She opened her eyes and saw him standing before her, deflecting the rays of the evening sun. She stared at him absentmindedly, giving her mind a chance to awaken before she sat up and rubbed her tired eyelids. Then she looked up at him and saw that he was watching her with a small smile on his face. "Sleep well?" he asked.

"Yeah," she replied, and patted a yawn away. As she stretched her arms over her head, she continued, "I feel like I've had a really long, nasty dream."

Zelgadiss realized that this wasn't going to be a short talk, so he sat down on the grass next to her. "What? Did I die or something?"

She laughed and leaned back on an arm. "You know, I really don't remember, but that could be it." The sun felt really good on her cheeks, even as it was beginning to set. She looked at Zelgadiss and saw how the rays reflected off of his hair and eyes, and then she said, "But you're alive, now."

Lina saw the light disappear from his eyes and the smile fade from his lips, and she wondered if she had said something wrong. "Lina, what are we going to do about you?" he asked, suddenly serious.

She blinked at him. "What about me?"

"The curse. The one that is devouring your magic energy."

She felt a cold shiver run down her arms as she stared at him. "I don't know what you're talking about, Zel."

He stood up and began to walk away, and suddenly the landscape shifted. All the hills and rolling plains were swept up into a dark twister. The figure of Zelgadiss, too, seemed to be distorted by the effect. Lina reached out for him and attempted to walk forward, but regardless of how her feet moved the distance between them never changed. Far off, she could see a hole beginning to form, and somehow knew that what existed before her was the Sea of Chaos. She looked down at her hands, and saw them bleeding in black and gold. The world was being consumed by chaos.

"Zel!" she called, falling to her knees. _Zel!_

He appeared again, kneeling before her, cupping her chin lightly with his fingers. "What's wrong, Lina? We'll get over this curse together. You're not alone." _But you are alone. You're cursed like me. You said it yourself. Putting two curses together isn't going to magically make things right. Things can never be right again_. _It's hopeless. Give it up_.

He suddenly dissipated into sand, and fell into a pile of gold dust right before her.

"Right, Lina?"

o o o o o

She woke with a gasp, and her eyes darted quickly from the sight of trees above her, to the speckles of dewy sunlight around her, and finally to the one who was watching her and holding her in his arms. She pressed the back of her hand to her already wet cheeks as warm tears slid down them, then hid behind her hands to avoid those violet eyes that were staring at her.

"Unpleasant dream?" the priest asked, and Lina heard the subtle amusement beneath his voice. It silenced her weeping, and she quickly wiped her tears away with the soft flesh of her palms. He was wearing his usual grin, so she glared back at him, since it annoyed her. There was something else that annoyed her, too.

She sat up, pushing away from him with a gentle hand. Then she asked, "Were you here all night?"

"Yes," he answered, and his frankness made her do a double-take. "I was here all night."

Lina would have been more embarrassed if there weren't other things that bothered her more about that statement. She ran a hand through her hair and realized that it was only slightly damp, and she glanced over to Xelloss to see that he was significantly wetter than she, and for some reason that irritated her. She crossed her arms. _Something is definitely up. He's still here, for one, but the uncharacteristic acts of human compassion _(she purposely avoided the word 'affection'—that was the annoyance speaking) _are a little too much. For him._ She knew he wouldn't answer the question anyway, and bringing the fact (one that they both were aware of—she had no doubt) to the surface might not be beneficial at the moment. So she decided to keep silent about it for a while.

"I'm gonna go back to the house to take a bath," Lina said. "Are you coming?"

He suddenly appeared before her, and she nearly jumped in surprise (four years had dulled her senses) as her nose wrinkled in aggravation, since he was perfectly dry. _The bastard—he waited until I was awake to see him on purpose_. Then she sighed and lifted the hem of her dress, for it was starting to drag her down, and retraced her footsteps back to her house.

o o o o o

"Make yourself at home. I won't be long," she said as she began working at the buttons on the back of her dress. He didn't respond, and she found his silence to be distracting, and furthermore, one button seemed to have snagged on something and wasn't coming off. She frowned.

Then she heard his footsteps behind her, and his hands overlapped hers. Her eyes widened for a split second, but then she felt her face grow warm with bashful irritation. "I can do it myself," she insisted, but offered very little resistance as he slid her hands out of the way and undid the back of her dress for her. She felt her skin rippling at the feel of his touch, and that bothered her greatly. But then he left her alone after he was done, and she felt her muscles loosen as he walked away.

"Annoying fruitcake," she growled quietly as she slipped out of her dress, leaving it behind on the floor of her bedroom as she strode into her bathroom wearing only her undergarments. She lingered behind the door for a while, wondering at first if she should close the door, leave it open, and finally why she was contemplating it at all. Then she sighed, opened the faucet to her tub for hot water, slipped out of the rest of her clothes, and sank into her warm pool.

At first she left her hair hanging over the edge of the bathtub, but then she pulled it in with her and began to soak that, too. As she washed her hair, she realized that it smelled vaguely of Xelloss, and frowned. That set her thoughts back at square one, and she felt her irritation building again. But of all the questions she had for him, the most important one was why he was following her around again. She really couldn't think of a single answer for it—she'd found out that he was delivering a letter for Zelgadiss, but he was still here even after that.

Lina felt her eyes grow wet and warm from the thought of Zelgadiss, and immediately tried to dismiss it from her mind. Somewhere inside of her, she was still in denial about his death. Maybe he was still alive at this moment, since she didn't know how long ago Zelgadiss had given Xelloss the letter. What if she still had a chance to see him alive? But what would she say? That she read his dying statement, and had to come apologize to him for hurting him?

There was a knock at the door, and it startled her a bit. She saw the door shift slightly, but then nothing else happened. As she remembered to breathe, she heard Xelloss's voice from the other side of the door. "Lina-san, are you alright?"

"Yeah," she responded quietly. "Why do you ask?"

He paused, and she stared for a bit before her face flushed a bright red. _Of course, Lina. He can feel the thoughts coming from your heart. You must be like a never-ending feast, the way you are now_. "I'm fine, Xelloss," she called back, and dunked her head quickly under the water to make it sound like she was busy. "I'll be out soon. Sorry."

She heard his weight shifting on the floorboards outside of her bathroom, and then his footsteps padded away. She waited for a moment longer to see if he would come back, and when it seemed like he was gone, she continued to bathe until she was done.

o o o o o

Lina emerged in a fluffy blue bathrobe with a white towel draped around her shoulders, which she used to rub her hair and dry her ears. Xelloss was briefly distracted first by her bare legs, then by her wet hair, which was stringy against her pale skin. In particular, he was distracted by a water droplet that slipped down her chest and into her robe, but he made sure that she wouldn't notice him eyeing her by keeping his eyes upturned. "Enjoy your bath?" he asked, and held out a cup of warm tea he had prepared. She stared at it as if it was something foreign, so he explained, "I helped myself to your kitchen, and heating up water is easy for me."

She opened her mouth to ask 'how?" and immediately closed it. Then she shook her head slowly and giggled. "It must be nice to be a mazoku," she commented languidly as she took the cup from him. She sipped the tea and realized it didn't taste exactly like the one she had prepared for him the day before. She raised an eyebrow at him.

"It brews better at a lower temperature than the one you've been using," he nonchalantly stated. She rolled her eyes.

"Trust the tea connoisseur to know what he's talking about," she mumbled. "Though, you have at least a thousand years on everyone else with that dream."

He chuckled. "I guess that's true."

Lina's eyes followed the cup in his hands to his lips. She stared at them until she realized what she was doing, then was so appalled by herself that she didn't know what to think, and so drank her tea quietly as she steamed behind her cup.

"Lina-san, can I ask what you plan to do now?"

She paused. "What do you mean?"

"I'm curious to know what Zelgadiss-san wrote in his letter to you, but I can't imagine you would sit still here and ignore his last will," Xelloss said as he sipped at his tea. Lina could almost see the curve of his lips at the edges of the cup, and wondered how much exactly he knew about what was going on.

"Well," she began warily. "He asked me to clean up something for him—a lab dedicated to his research. But that's part of what's difficult about this—he didn't mention where it was, so I don't know how I'm going to find it." She didn't mention the apologies that were also in the letter, partly because she didn't want Xelloss to know about them and partly because it hurt her to say it. Xelloss put a finger to his lips thoughtfully, and she raised her head. "Xelloss?"

"Perhaps he did mention where it was, but you just didn't notice?" he suggested. "Maybe it's in some code that only you would figure out?"

Lina angled her eyebrows at him. "What are you saying," she began, but then her features lit up. She put her cup down and walked swiftly to her bedroom where she pulled out her dresser drawer and reached into the back of it, pulling out the letter from where she had carefully put it away before. She meticulously undid the folds, then placed it down on top of the desk and began to fold it in different directions. When she was done, she held the paper crane in her hands and flipped it over.

Xelloss waited a moment more before he followed her into her bedroom. "So?" he asked.

"You're right," she answered, and turned to him with a sad smile. "It's here. I know where it is, now."

Xelloss raised an eyebrow as he looked at the shape in her hands. "A paper crane?"

"Yeah," she answered, feeling her voice beginning to break again. "Because nothing else would grant our wishes." She put the bird down on top of her dresser and walked over to Xelloss. "Will you help me? I want to leave tomorrow."

He smiled at her, and she took that as a yes, keeping in the back of her mind that Xelloss didn't help anyone unless he had another motive to do so.

o o o o o

Wearing a loose-fitted peasant-top and pants, Lina looked more like the tomboyish version of herself that Xelloss remembered from long ago. He had initially been a little surprised by her womanly appearance the day before, but realized that his assessment of her maturation may have been a little distorted by the fact that she was wearing a dress. Now that she was back in pants, she really didn't look like she had changed much at all. _She wouldn't be happy to hear that_, he noted with a grin.

"What are you laughing at?" she demanded, putting her hands on her hips. She saw him tap his fingers to his lips as a sign of his favorite phrase and sighed. "Okay okay. Can you get those down for me?"

Xelloss followed her finger up to a corner of her house. Something had been hung there, so he flew up to retrieve it for her. As he neared it, however, he began to recognize the familiar item, and as his fingers touched it, he knew exactly what it was. "Are these what I think they are?" he called out to Lina, amused.

"Yeah," she called back, feeling a little shy for some reason. "Can you get the other three? They're on the corners." As soon as she finished the statement, he was already standing before her again with all four items in his hand. She took them from him and felt a little bit of nostalgia creep up on her, but she quickly patted it back down.

"I was wondering how you kept up wards without your magic," Xelloss commented. "What did the locals think they were?"

She stuck her tongue out at him and winked. "I convinced them that they were decorative items from the inner continent. A present from a good friend of mine or something."

"They must think we have strange taste."

She laughed a little. "Well, it wasn't a _complete_ lie. I did get them from you, so I only lied about it being a gift and about you being a good friend."

His head shook side to side slowly. "I can't believe it. Four of the most powerful talisman created turned into house décor." He chuckled a little. "And how much did you pay me for them? Five and a half million?"

She turned her merchant blood eyes at him. "I gave you well over the price you asked for," she nearly hissed.

He sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "But Lina-san, even with your talismans on you, you won't be able to cast anything so long as your body rejects the flow of magic."

She shrugged. "I don't think we'll run into anything big. I've been out of the inner world for a while, so I don't think anyone is looking for me. And if it does, it's not like I'm entirely defenseless without my magic." Then she turned to him, and with a cocky grin, added, "Besides, I'm carrying them _so_ that no one will find me. They still serve as wards, until I deactivate them. Not that I can…"

She trailed off and sighed. Then she said gleefully, "And next on the list is clothes! And then there's food, and travel expenses…"

Xelloss watched her with a careless smile on his face, then shrugged and followed along behind her. Really, he hadn't met anyone else quite like her in the last few centuries, and although he didn't like to admit it, Zelgadiss had been right about his statement that life was just a little more interesting with Lina around.

o o o o o

"Oh? And how are we doing _today_, Lina?"

Lina and Xelloss both turned to the source of the voice at the same time. Then Lina skipped over to where the old man stood and planted her feet before him with a smile. He noted her high spirits and something in his eyes softened. "I'm doing great! How are you, old man Carson?" she chirped.

"I'm doing really good," he answered gently. Then his eyes wandered over to Xelloss, who was carrying Lina's things for the moment. "Planning on a trip?"

"Yeah, something like that." Lina wasn't sure whether she should look excited or sad about leaving, and settled for something in between. "Though, I think it may end up being a permanent trip."

The old man laughed out loud. "Oh, so it's like that, is it? Is this the lucky guy?"

Lina's face turned a bright, apple red. "N-no! It's not like that between me and—uhm, well, it's not like that." She had lowered her voice when Xelloss gave her a questioning look, though she knew that he could likely hear everything that they were saying, anyway. She could see the subtle gleam to his eyes, even as he feigned innocence.

"Well, whatever it is, I'm glad for you," the old man said. "There's a spark in your eyes now that I haven't seen before since you arrived in town, and I thought it was a shame that someone so young had already lost the vibrance of their youth." He suddenly lifted his hand. "Wait here, for a second."

Lina blinked, and Old Man Carson had already scurried off into his home. A little while later, he emerged carrying a tin of something. He handed it to her, and she took it, knowing immediately what it was as soon as she could smell the aroma of the tea leaves. "Fresh," the man added with a thumbs-up.

"Thank you Mr. Carson," Lina answered heartily. "Take care, until the next time I see you."

He guffawed again and patted his belly. "Oh, you won't, dear. You won't." Lina raised a curious eyebrow at him as he walked off, laughing to himself as he went back to his chores. Whatever he had meant by the statement, Lina decided she wouldn't pay it too much mind. She held the tin jar and walked briskly back to Xelloss's side.

"A friend of yours?" Xelloss asked, dipping his face into her personal space as she attempted to hide her embarrassment.

"Something like that," Lina replied, pushing around him. "I owe him."

"For?"

"For saving me when I had little left to live for."

"I see," Xelloss commented, following her up the hill towards her home. "I guess I owe him, as well."

She turned her head. "For what?"

And to that, he happily replied, "For the tea."

o o o o o

Later that evening, Lina exchanged her day ensemble for a nightgown, which was lavender in color and seemed light and fluttery around her. With her four talismans in hand, she hopped onto her bed and reclined against the soft pillows as she set to work engraving the runes onto the backsides of her talisman. Xelloss walked up to her and sat down on the edge of her bed, and she tried her best to pretend that she wasn't a little anxious about having him there.

He watched her as she worked on her engravings for a while before he spoke. "Lina-san, what do you plan to do about your illness while you are away from here?"

"Well, if everything works the way it should, these should be able to substitute for the runes I have etched into my floor," she answered as she blew lightly across the surface of her engraving, scattering the dust off onto the floor. She didn't mention the detail about it being less effective, since a full magic circle would be required for the full spell.

"I see." He picked up the one she had completed and flipped it over in his hands, observing her work. Xelloss wasn't an expert on runes himself, for they really didn't have any use to him, so he was rather impressed by her exquisite knowledge of the matter.

Her eyes peered at him over the top of her work. "If you're done asking questions, can I ask one now?"

He put the talisman down and turned a cheery grin on her, and she pursed her lips at him. If she asked a question now, the only thing she'd get for it would be a riddle. "You may, if you wish, Lina-san."

She sighed and lowered her hands. After a moment of contemplation, Lina decided that he wouldn't answer the question no matter how she posed it, so she simply asked, "Why?"

"Why _what_, Lina-san?" His words dripped with insincerity.

"Why are you doing all this? What is in it for you?"

Xelloss chuckled, then shook his finger at her. "That's two questions, Lina-san. I'll expect something in return for the second." When she seethed at him, he continued, "But since I will not be answering the first question, we'll call it even. As for the second question, I myself do not know the answer to it, but we shall see in the end."

Lina fingered the talisman in her hand. _Xelloss said __we__, which means that he will be travelling with me._ She felt the edges of her lips curve upward and fought the urge to grin stupidly. How she could feel so pleased about having him in her company boggled her, but she figured that years of solitude could have made her desperate enough to enjoy having a familiar face around—even if that familiar face could potentially be one of her worst enemies.

She felt the need to start another conversation. "Hey Xelloss. Why did you suddenly stop hanging around?" she asked, going back to work on her engravings.

He chuckled, and she nearly glared at him, but she focused instead on channeling all that extra feeling into her work. "Did I?"

Her eyes nearly bugged out. "Did you?"

Xelloss tapped his finger to his lips, then placed it on hers. She didn't blush this time—instead, she just looked annoyed. _I wonder if he saw_…_no, let's just hope he didn't see._ Lina eased a little farther into the coziness of her pillows, and decided that it might be best just to keep her mouth shut.

But she soon began to regret her decision, for her silence gave him initiative. "Lina-san." She felt her body stiffen and saw him chuckling quietly at her out of the corner of her eye. There was something suddenly different about him. While he had been practically passive all day, he seemed a little more on the aggressive side now, and Lina wasn't exactly sure what to make of it, so she stared at him defenselessly as he reached out and lowered her hand. Then his left hand came forward, cupped her chin, and pulled her towards him. His eyes waxed like the moon, its violet hue seemingly a glow, and Lina suddenly found herself suddenly forgetting how to breathe.

"Your eyes are still swollen from crying," he commented smoothly, and removed his hand from her chin to place over her eyes. She felt his fingers—cold and soothing—press gently against her lids, and she felt weaker from the darkness that took her. Then she inhaled sharply, for he began to nip at a spot just above her collarbone. His lips were soft. "If there is something I can do to ease your pain," he began, and kissed her flesh. Then he removed his hand from her eyes.

"Don't hesitate."

He smiled darkly at her as she stared at him, stunned into absolute silence. Then he removed himself from the bed and walked over to the door, and Lina spoke up before she had a chance to think about her words.

"Where are you going?" she asked, and felt goosebumps run up the back of her neck.

"I'm just stepping out for a moment. I will be back soon," he answered. "Get some rest, Lina-san."

Her eyes were locked on his silhouette as he departed through the doorway, and her fingers wandered up to where he had kissed her neck. The skin there was still hot, and it made her uneasy. To say that she was worried would be an understatement—her face had blanked from absolute dread. And not from his actions, but by her own response, for she was clearly enjoying his advances, whether she wanted to admit it or not.

She touched her tender skin and shuddered, for she was already yearning for more of his touch.


End file.
